Photo: REBECCA DROKE / AFP / Getty Images
James Copenhaver, a 76-year-old veteran from Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, has died from injuries he sustained during the failed assassination attempt on President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Copenhaver was one of three people struck by gunfire when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire from a nearby rooftop on Saturday, July 13, 2024.
Copenhaver passed away on Wednesday at a Pittsburgh hospital, surrounded by family. A statement from his family called him a "devoted husband, father, and grandfather" and a veteran whose "dedication to this great country was a defining part of his life." The Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner confirmed his death, with the official cause and manner still pending, according to official sources.
During the 2024 rally, Crooks fired multiple shots, injuring Copenhaver and another attendee, former Marine David Dutch, while firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed. President Trump was grazed in the ear but survived, and Crooks was shot and killed by Secret Service agents at the scene.
Copenhaver endured multiple surgeries and ongoing health complications, including bullet fragments that remained in his body. He filed a lawsuit against the United States government earlier this year, alleging Secret Service negligence and seeking accountability for the injuries he suffered.
After news of his passing, President Trump called Copenhaver "a true American Patriot" and said his "indelible legacy of love and devotion will forever endure." House Republicans and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro also offered condolences to the Copenhaver family, with Shapiro urging all Americans to "take down the temperature, rise above hateful rhetoric, and search for a brighter future for this nation."
Copenhaver is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren. The family has expressed deep gratitude for the support received since the shooting. As investigations into the rally's security continue and Copenhaver's lawsuit moves forward, his story remains a somber reminder of the attack's lasting impact on victims and their families.